Roy Kinsey uses his raps to provide hope

“Can you make something that stays on topic, that provides hope for people, that tells a story, that is interesting and potent?” rapper Roy Kinsey asked. “I wanted to do that.”

In February, Kinsey released his fourth album, “Blackie: a story by Roy Kinsey” independently. The album was the culmination of years of hard work, self-doubt, creative negotiation and maturity, Kinsey said.

A quick spin confirms these details. “Blackie” sounds like a creative next step in the local performer’s lyrical arsenal. Kinsey has quickly perfected a deft skill for storytelling, weaving in stories of his own life as a black, queer-identified Chicagoan with larger stories about black people in Chicago and in America. “Blackie” is not so much autobiographical as it is a Great American Novel distilled into album form and told from the perspective of this country’s most foundational yet ignored populations.

But Kinsey’s skill for lyrical dexterity took time to develop. The rapper credits a storytelling class he took while acquiring his master’s of library science degree for helping spark a new creative direction in his music. “I knew (the class) sounded interesting, but I didn’t know it would change me like that,” Kinsey admitted. “A year later, I made an album that is a story. I’m rapping in a way I haven’t before. I kind of slowed it down. I’m annunciating, the lyrics are potent, and people want to hear it.”

Kinsey currently works as a librarian by day, a curious choice for most rappers, but a perfect match for Kinsey. “I’ve always loved words. I’ve always loved putting them together. I grew up in the library. That informs what I do,” Kinsey said. Throughout the month of April, Kinsey will lead a series of workshops, open mics and a solo performance at different Chicago Public Library locations. Presented as part of the city’s current “One Book, One Chicago” season and its theme, “Music: The Beat of Our City,” Kinsey will utilize the tools he’s developed as an artist and share his vision for learning, creativity and inspiration to the masses.

In some ways, this moment was a long time coming. Kinsey is a performer sure of his skills and his vision, but it wasn’t always this way. In fact, recent years pushed him to question whether he wanted to continue pursuing music at all. Faced with a personal test, Kinsey asked, “Are you as great as you thought you were? You aren’t signed yet. You’re getting older. And what are you really here for?”

But luckily for audiences, rather than abandon his work, Kinsey doubled down and drew on the inspiration of other contemporary performers, from Kendrick Lamar to Beyonce, to craft his latest album.

“Great black art came out, and if you’re a true artist, that shifted everything,” Kinsey admitted. “It feels like I had to have a deeper vision, I had to be fulfilled, and I had to be impressed. And I wasn’t impressed by what I was rapping about. I wasn’t talking about anything and it didn’t last because I would be over it in a week. And I didn’t want that. If I’m feeling like that about my music, other people are going to feel that way, and I’m not here for this anymore.”

Upon the album’s release, Kinsey described “Blackie” as, “a line of questioning, a self-examination,” and it is true. That examination of why he wanted to make art and who he is as an artist can be felt from the album’s first note. By shifting the focus and working on himself, Kinsey has made a work that is powerful, important and true.